There could have been some strange things that went down in the voting for the CarterMatt Awards this year, but we have to say that “Stranger Things” winning Best New Show is not one of them.

For most of the year, this Netflix series was the talk of the country for a wide array of different reasons, whether it be the mystery, the fantasy, or the moments of humor that came throughout. In the end, we attribute the success of the show mostly to one thing: The way it made you feel watching it. For viewers over the age of 25, it likely brought them back to a simpler time of adventure, one before the internet and where imagination was something more prevalent. It was delightfully nostalgic, and it absolutely helped that the show was anchored by many wonderful performances and some of the best young actors we’ve see on TV in a rather long time.

In looking specifically at where the votes fell in the category this year, it was a fairly close race. “Stranger Things” had 39% of the vote, and pulled away close to the end of the voting period; for much of it, “This Is Us” over on NBC was hot on its heels (it finished with just over 30% of the vote), and “Westworld” via HBO wasn’t too far back with 26%. These three shows in particular do show that viewers are looking at the moment for escapism — even if it isn’t always happy escapism — and to have some sort of emotional reaction to what they were watching. Even if technology has it times allowed us to be a little more hollow and disconnected, these are shows that allowed us to tap into something human. Of course, it’s ironic to say this about a show like “Westworld” given how artificial intelligence was such a key part of the equation there.

Congratulations once more to “Stranger Things” on its victory! There is a second season of the show on the way, so you can rest assured knowing that a little more of the adventure will be coming your way again.

Are you happy with this win, or were you rooting for someone else? Share below, and visit this linkto check out some other categories and results from the CarterMatt Awards this year.